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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY (July 11) – Three junior continental championships dominated the wrestling calendar in June, leaving the Tbilisi Grand Prix the only senior event with a significant impact on the United World Wrestling freestyle rankings for July.

The top six wrestlers in seven of the eight freestyle weight held firm. Only senior European silver medalist Alexander GOSTIEV (AZE) was able to crack the top six, climbing four places to No.4 at 86k after a victory in Tbilisi.

Meanwhile, Galib ALIYEV (AZE) went from unranked following a triumph at Yasar Dogu in March to No.11 after Tbilisi with wins over European under-23 runner-up Sedat OZDEMIR (TUR) and Paris Grand Prix winner Shota PHARTENADZE (GEO).

Senior European bronze medalist at 61kg Volodya FRANGULYAN (ARM) follows Aliyev at No.12 after winning the 65kg title in Tbilisi to climb four places in the super bantamweight poll.

Among the medalists from the junior continental championships, Andrey YATSENKO (UKR) was ranked highest at No.10 in 57kg – actually a demotion from No.9 in June after falling, 8-7, in the European juniors to Ali RAHIMZADE (AZE) in the 60kg final.

Yatsenko’s position was fueled, in part, by a silver medal from the 2016 senior European championships as well as the title at the Ukraine International in early March. Yatsenko and Rahimzade, who climbed to No.16 from 19th at 61kg, are both bronze medal winners at the European under-23s at the end of March.

Meanwhile, U23 winner Givi MATCHRASHVILI (GEO) joined the rankings at 97kg at No.17 following a win at the juniors meet in Dortmund, Germany. Sharvan SHARVAN (IND), No.20 at 61kg, was the only junior champion outside of Europe to break into the rankings.

Wrestlers in the rankings are listed by name, country code, their most notable or most recent result over the last 12 months and their position in the previous rankings.

57kg – 2016 world silver medalist Beka LOMTADZE (GEO) won the Tbilisi Grand Prix at 57kg and makes the move from No.8 at 61kg to No.7 in the bantamweight rankings.

61kg – Asian junior champion Sharvan SHARVAN (IND) joins the rankings at No.20, following a seventh place at the junior world meet last August and a fifth place at the senior Dan Kolov tourney in April. Sharvan’s triumph in New Delhi included a fall late in the semifinals over Rio 2016 Olympian Abbas RAKHMONOV (UZB).

65kg – Selehattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR), a bronze medal winner at Yasar Dogu in March, takes a toe-hold on the rankings at No.19 after a runner-up showing in Tbilisi followed by 10th place at the Dan Kolov tourney in April.

70kg – Former European U23 winner Zurabi ERBOTSONASHVILI (GEO) defeated 2016 senior European runner-up David TLASHADZE (GEO) in the first round in Tbilisi as both join the rankings on the final two rungs.

74kg – European Games bronze medal winner Jumber KVELASHVILI (GEO) won in Tbilisi to rejoin the rankings at No.15, while runner-up Grigor GRIGORYAN (ARM) climbed to No.10. Grigoryan was also a bronze medalist at the European championships in May.

86kg – Fresh from a silver medal at the European championships, Alexander GOSTIEV (AZE) won in Tbilisi to get a further boost in the rankings from No.8 to fourth at middleweight after falling out of the rankings two months earlier.